AUSTIN — The Texas House of Representatives’ energy chief won’t endorse a candidate in the Republican race for railroad commissioner, but is concerned about a candidate’s potential conflict of interest with his energy consulting firm, Texas Energy Report reported Monday.

State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, who serves as chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee, told Texas Energy Report that Sitton’s reluctance to share his list of clients bothers him because it’s likely those clients could come before the commission in certain cases.

“It concerns me that this one fellow, this Ryan Sitton, is not going to be giving up his business interest if he’s elected,” said Keffer, who pointed to conflicts of interest when past Railroad Commissioners Elizabeth Ames Jones and Michael Williams ran against each other for U.S. Senate while simultaneously serving together on the commission. It takes at least two votes on the three-member commission to decide a contested case or pass new regulations.

“Just outside looking in as chairman of energy, the fights we’ve had, the past fights we had on the Railroad Commission to have this sort of glaring potential conflict,” he said, could “open up this whole can of worms for everybody’s detriment.”

Sitton will face former state Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, in the May 27 runoff election.